by John Walker
“And you mentioned a countdown,” Gilletsaid.“Mind letting us know how much time we have?”
“I’m converting to your time…” Thayne frowned.“It’s a very short period. Oh! Five minutes.”
“Five minutes!?” Heat took a deep breath to keep his adrenaline down.“We have five minutes to get that thing out of here? How’d it start?”
“Apparently, the Tol’Anstarted it when they tripped the defenses in the command center.” Thayne shook his head.“This might be the end of the Trindisha … All of them, in fact.”
“What’s that mean?” Gorman asked.
“If one is destroyed, we’ve theorized they would all shut down until one is repaired. We are unable to do so with our current technology so it would be the end of them.” Thayne looked at Heat.“We must get it out of here.”
Heat cursed.“Can you shut off the bomb?”
Thayne shook his head.“No, but I was able to stop the turrets. They are off. If we hurry, we should be able to get the Trindishato the shuttle and away before it goes off. I estimate we will have approximately thirty seconds to reach a minimum safe distance.”
“God damn it.” Heat grabbed Thayne and dragged him to the door. He started a timer on his HUD.“Gorman, get back to the front and make sure the shuttle’s ready to go. We’ll put the Orb in one and everyone else in the other. Have them idling and ready to hit the thrusters. Gillet, you’re with us. Move! Move!”
They rushed off to their tasks with Thayne and Heat bursting through the rooms until the researcher was panting and covered in sweat. They passed by other offices filled with various tech wonders but there was no time to admire them. The last door was stuck, halfway open, and Heat used his armor enhanced strength to shove it the rest of the way.
The glowing Orb stood before them in an empty, spherical room. He could’ve been in Gamma Alpha. The thing looked so similar to theirs, like a perfect copy. It was taller than them but supposedly, they weren’t particularly heavy. Even so, Heat knew he would need Gillet’s help to carry it back out.
Heat glanced at Thayne.“Do you need to disconnect anything before we grab it? If we rip it off of there, will we hurt it?”
“One moment.” Thayne rushed over and examined the pedestal. He tapped something at two points around the edge and joined them again.“It’s free! Grab it and we can get out of here.”
The timer showed they had less than three minutes to get it out of there. Heat grabbed it from the side away from the door and Gilletlifted on his end.“Thayne,” Heat said.“Get moving. Run as fast as you can to get out of here. We’ll be doing the same so stay left. Understand?”
“Yes, I do.” Thayne bolted from the room, seriously moving despite his apparent exhaustion.
Heat counted down from three and they lifted, the hydraulics in their armor complaining about the weight. They moved in tandem, picking up the pace as they established their rhythm. The timer ticked down just to the left of Heat’s vision, filling him with a sense of frustration at having to carry the thing.
Even when they got out of the complex, they would still need to secure it to the shuttle. Time continued to play against them, even as they crossed the control room where the turrets were dormant. Rushing down the hallway, the light ahead gave Heat a sense of hope, even as the timer in his helmet showed they had only had two minutes left and thirty of those were reserved for flight time.
The remaining Tol’Anforces had arrived and the sound of gunfire made Heat curse aloud.“Are you kidding me? They’re back? These guys!”
“Welcome back, sir,” Gorman shouted.“We’ve got the shuttle lined up to get this thing secure… Jesus, it’s bigger than I thought.”
“Yeah, we need a magnetic grapple to get it far enough away from here to be properly loaded on.” Heat set it down as carefully as he could and hurried aboard the shuttle. Gunshots glanced off the walls near his head.“Take those assholes out! We don’t have time for this!”
He spun the tether and pulled out the hook, dragging it toward the Orb. By the time he arrived, Gillethad already rolled it on its side to give him access to the metal part the alien culture attached it to. The magnetics on the hook should’ve been enough to keep it in place without attaching it to any protrusions but he was pleased to find a fairly stable bar on the bottom.
Latching it through there, it gripped it tightly and didn’t seem like it would let go easily. I hope this works. He brought the line back in so that the Orb was pressed hard against the back of the shuttle.“Get the hell out of here!” He shouted.“You have forty seconds to reach a minimum safe distance! Send us a rally point when you’re there!”
The shuttle lifted off and the moment it was ten feet off the ground, it sped away, igniting the engines for a quick burn. Heat fired twice at an exposed enemy, catching him in the shoulder before turning to the other shuttle. He directed his men to follow and they rushed over to board.“Where’s Thayne and Bosh?”
“They’re with the Orb,” Gorman called.
“Then go! Go! Go!” Heat shouted, grabbing the safety bar over his head.
The shuttle lifted off and hurried away, leaving the Tol’Anbehind to contend with the explosion. As the timer counted down, Heat watched it intently, praying they’d left in time. It went from twenty to fifteen… ten to five… He didn’t know exactly how far away they needed to be for safety but the complex was already small on the horizon.
When the explosion went off, the sky darkened over the facility. Smoke plumed miles into the air and it only took a moment before they felt the turbulence from the blast. It rocked the shuttle, making them buck like they were on a carnival ride. The pilot called out a mayday, but somehow, he maintained control.
The violent motion lasted for a good minute. All visibility around them dropped to zero. Dust and smoke consumed the air, like the aftermath of an erupted volcano. They continued to fly to some rally point far from the carnage. Coms were down due to the explosion and they couldn’t scan for the other shuttle.
I hope this was for something. Heat sat down finally, strapping himself in. After all that… What a mess.
***
Cassie witnessed the explosion on scans but the reaction from the others drew her attention to the main screen. A brown dot appeared on the surface, spreading out a good hundred miles in every direction. It didn’t seem all that impressive from orbit but according to the sensors, it was a vastly destructive force.
“The facility…” Cassie whispered.“It’s been… destroyed.”
“How?” Desmond demanded.“What happened?”
“I… I don’t know.” Cassie tried to bring up more information but the area was so full of interference, she wasn’t able to get any intelback.“Salina, are you having any better luck?”
“Negative. It appears to have been a high yield explosive device… Though I’m not picking up any radiation. It was not atomic but whatever they used certainly had a similar effect.”
“Our people?” Vincent asked.“Do we have them on scan? Anything?”
“There’s too much noise,” Cassie replied. She hesitated as a thought dawned on her. The marines, the pilots… Everyone they sent might’ve died in the explosion. Considering the gravity of what she was about to report, she bit her lip.“The entire area’s a dead zone right now. I’m not able to get any energy readings at all.”
“Salina?” Desmond asked, his voice tense.
“I concur with Agent Alexander,” Salina said.“Weather patterns suggest it will clear up soon but I don’t think we should risk any ships even. Not when we’ll be able to scan the area soon enough.”
“Understood.” Desmond stood and approached the view screen. Cassie turned back to her station and waited for a window she could use to scan the area, to bring anything up, any data at all that might reveal the fate of their people. Ground zero seemed to clear up first, the center of the blast being the facility itself.
The crater made her eyes widen. Whatever exploded left a holeroughly fift
een stories deep and it annihilated the hills around it, leveling them. The blast left no trace of the building at all and no technology appeared on her scans of the area. Anyone within ten miles would’ve been killed instantly, of that she was sure.
Rather than report that, Cassie continued to probe with her scanners. She needed additional data before she offered up even less hope for the soldiers. Winds cleared away the dust as a storm rolled in. Heavy rains battered the area, as if nature wanted to wash away the scar blemishing its surface.
Tech beacons began to ping them. Cassie sat up straight, trying to boost the signal until one of the shuttles came online.“I’ve got them!” She shouted.“One of the shuttles! Captain, it’s… it’sflying!”
“Salina,” Desmond said,“bring them up on com.”
“Working on it, sir.”
“This is Shuttle Craft Omega calling Gnosis control, please come in, over.”
“This is the Gnosis,” Salina said.“Report your status, over.”
“Mission complete,” the pilot said.“The Orb is secure and we’ll be heading back to the ship momentarily. Over.”
The bridge crew cheered, Vincent clapping his hands in excitement. Cassie was too relieved to celebrate. Sinking in her chair, she felt as if she’d just run three miles at a full sprint. She couldn’t believe the situation was over, that they’d succeeded and now had their prize. Once they repaired the ship, they could head home.
So we can figure out the next step in this new adventure.
“Shuttle Omega,” Desmond said,“this is the Captain speaking. Thank you for your service and I look forward to seeing you when you land. Over and out.” He turned to Salina.“Find out what casualties we’re looking at. Vincent, coordinate with Nathaniel to get our repairs underway and Zach… establish a high orbit. Let’s bring our people home.”
Epilogue
Desmond headed down to meet Salina and Cassie so they could talk to their guest, Doctor Thayne Rindala. He had received a full briefing from Gunnery Sergeant Heathrow and looked forward to having a chat with an alien who genuinely seemed willing to help them. Still, they kept him confined while they vetted him.
They couldn’t be too careful out there in space.
Several people were killed during the mission, including two fighter pilots, two marines and some crewmen who found themselves too close to the hull during the battle. Others were injured but would pull through. Considering the odds, he thought it would be much worse but while they lost only a few lives, they took heavier losses on the equipment front.
One suit of power armor was almost useless, two were obliterated and then there were the starships. A bomber was totally destroyed and another needed a complete engine overhaul. Five fighters were total losses with three more requiring extensive repairs. The Gnosis itself required a heavy amount of attention.
Nathaniel estimated a day before they could take to hyperspace again and three more days for all systems to be normal. The hull damage required dry dock to clear up properly. Until then, they’d make it safe enough to travel. Considering the odds they faced, Desmond felt fortunate to have come away alive at all let alone with such a report.
Cassie and Salina were waiting for him as he arrived and together, they entered Thayne’s room. He stood up as they entered, offering a sheepish grin.“Hello,” he said.“I’ve met Agent Alexander… but not you two.”
“I’m Captain Desmond Bradford.” He gestured to Salina.“This is Lieutenant Gold, my science officer. We understand you offered a lot of help on the surface. I want to personally thank you for that.”
“I was a prisoner of the Tol’An,” Thayne explained.“Thwarting their plans suited me just fine.”
Desmond nodded.“How did you find yourself in their influence?”
“I’m afraid I was stolen… er … You would say abducted, I believe. They took me for my understanding of what you call the Orbs.”
“And were you able to help them?”
“I had little choice. They threatened to kill me.” Thayne sighed.“I hoped to delay them longer but when they arrived in Sol, I could no longer hold them back. Because your world was occupied, they believed they could take the Orb without needing me to break any sort of codes. But the other world… We knew it was unoccupied.”
“And the drones?”
Thayne grinned.“I knew about them… but they did not. I located your Orb and the one you just claimed. I also was able to gather quite a bit of data about both places. The automated defenses may have been enough to drive them off… Unfortunately, it seemed they were more tenacious than I anticipated.”
“Tell them how they felt about the defenses when they got there.”
Thayne’s shoulders slumped.“They were quite unhappy with me. One of them nearly shot me in the head over the situation. If they would’ve known how to get into the facility, I’m quite certain I’d be dead. Fortunately for me, they did not and when we arrived, the rest of the automated defenses made slow but steady work of them.”
“Do you know why they want the Orbs?” Desmond asked.“What’s the point?”
“You already understand what wonders the Orb you possess has granted. Imagine when you double the output of power, learn how they created these devices in the first place and really get to the heart of the information available. With every one you have access to, you are able to gather more data, and with it, practical applications of their research.
“Long ago, they could be on different planets and provide the users with the benefits I just described but now, after so many years, they have lost contact with one another. Theypower the creations left behind… but no longer exchange information. Bringing them together not only grants a culture more knowledge but access to energy the universe has not seen in… you would say a million years.”
“Energy…” Desmond turned to Cassie.“I know that it always seems to generate power, but I didn’t know the Orb was a source. I thought it was just a storage unit.”
“We’ve always known that it emanates power but it was decided long before I got involved that we wouldn’t push our luck and try to tap into it.” Cassie shrugged.“If someone made a mistake…”
“I get it.”
Thayne continued,“the Trindishasseem to be designed with flexibility in… er … mind? Yes, that’s it. I believe they initially built them as a means to store data and discovered a higher purpose. Whole planetary populations might draw energy from one, as an example. But what other wonders do they house? We can only guess.”
Cassie added,“Imagine what we can do with two of them.”
“So your culture,” Desmond said,“your… your people… they are not the Tol’An?”
“Certainly not!” Thayne spoke with such passion, Desmond was convinced he might spit on the floor.“They are a… a subgroup of our people. Worshippers, if you will. They have extreme beliefs about the universe and who should be leading it. Believe me, their rule would not benefit anyone but themselves.”
Desmond turned to Salina.“So we’re dealing with a militant faction of their people. They can’t possibly have the resources of an entire government, right?” He turned back to Thayne.“And they don’t have an Orb.”
“Actually…” Thayne rubbed the back of his neck.“The advantage they lost was me… but they do have one of the Trindishas. Before I was taken, they broke in and stole my people’s. They are hunted, believe me… but they’ve been planning this for a very long time. I believe our two cultures would be great allies.”
“That’s some good news,” Salina replied.“Depending on how many ships these Tol’Anfolks have, we might need them.”
“Well, hold on,” Thayne said.“You see, we would make good allies but do not assume such a task will be easy. I am willing to help, as much as I may, but considering our current losses, it may be a difficult sell to bring our people together. At least right away. There are challenges, you see… and Trindishasare not the only item of value in the universe.”
“What
do you mean?” Cassie asked.“What other things?”
“Oh, The Tol’An have been hunting artifacts in every backwater planet they can find. Remember, they care for technology and are desperate to acquire it. While the Trindishasare by far the most sought after items, they are at the top of a very long chain. Our own people have collected some pieces and have put them on display or studied them for that matter.”
“I understand the desire,” Desmond said,“but what’s the point? I mean, beyond academics, what do they want with these items? Are they weapons?”
“In some cases. Weapons… wonders… utilities… things to make space flight easier. Speed quicker. All things are possible out there.” Thayne smiled.“This is why exploration appeals. There are not dead rocks and burning stars alone but fantastic creations waiting for discovery. People and places, monuments and artifacts… dangerous and peaceful.
“And we, your race and mine, are not the only beings to contend with. Our kind has competed and worked with others ... many in fact. The Tol’An may be our most immediate threat but believe me, they will be stepping into the territory of other cultures who will not look kindly upon it. The Pahxinwill likely take some of the blame.”
“Are they hostile?” Desmond asked.“These others?”
“Some. Some far worse than the Tol’An.” Thayne narrowed his eyes.“Some are peaceful and maintain neutrality. They have specialties, like all beings. You have entered a vast world, my friends. One I hope you are ready for and the swift course in navigating the complexities of it.”
“This adds a spin to things,” Cassie said.“But I think we’re going to have to worry about that when we’ve had a chance to regroup, repair and restock. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back to our world, Thayne. At least until we figure some things out. We have a lot to talk about, not the least of which being what we plan to do next.”
